Cassandra Giraldo captures Brooklyn teens outside of the school gates

Date
24 September 2015

Cassandra Giraldo’s ongoing series The After School Project sees the New York-based photographer capturing Brooklyn high schoolers after the bell rings, when they’re allowed to exist as teenagers. “I live across the street from one of New York City’s largest high schools, so the project is literally inspired by my backyard,” Cassandra says. “I feel most comfortable photographing young people,” she explains. “I love feeling like the ethnographer of a young tribe, but also I enjoy the natural rapport I feel with the subjects. Both of these aspects allow me to melt away into the background and capture natural moments.” It’s this candidness that I love about Cassandra’s images, taking me back to my own school days where the only worry was homework.

“They’re not sullied by the pressures of adulthood yet, but they’re still in a hurry to get older,” Cassandra explains. “That tension is what interests me most.” The relationships between the teens are alluded to wonderfully as newly formed couples embrace with awkward limbs and friends stand together mimicking each other’s body language. “I’m constantly drawn to the narratives of high school past and I think documenting these young people is my own fountain of youth,” Cassandra says.

The lightness and carefree frivolity expressed by the teens is what draws Cassandra to continuing the project. “While I’m a photojournalist by trade that doesn’t mean that everything I capture needs to be serious or hard-hitting. Sometimes the most important stories can be found in the lighter corners of the world.” The style of Cassandra’s images emulates this as she plays with colour and the shadows cast from the surrounding buildings.

Cassandra updates the project though a dedicated Instagram account, treating it like a photo diary of the teenagers she meets. Placing the images in this setting gives the account a naturally curated feel, but I enjoy them just as much, if not more, away from the constrains of the Instagram frame.

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Cassandra Giraldo: The After School Project

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Cassandra Giraldo: The After School Project

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Cassandra Giraldo: The After School Project

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Cassandra Giraldo: The After School Project

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Cassandra Giraldo: The After School Project

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Cassandra Giraldo: The After School Project

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Cassandra Giraldo: The After School Project

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About the Author

Rebecca Fulleylove

Rebecca Fulleylove is a freelance writer and editor specialising in art, design and culture. She is also senior writer at Creative Review, having previously worked at Elephant, Google Arts & Culture, and It’s Nice That.

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